Elastic wheel.



J. LEONARD.

ELASTIC WHEEL.

APPLIGATION FILED H17, 1911.

come Lnon, or render-Mann, FRANCE.

ELASTIC EEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

Application filed February 7, 1911. Serial No. 607,208.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULns-LiioNARn, a citizen of the French Re ublic, residing at Parc-St-.-Maur, Seine, o the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

There have become known a great many types of elastic wheels but they all suffer from certain inconveniences when they are used.

This invention relates to a new elastic wheel the hub of which is elastically suspended to the folly by means of a certain number of india-rubber elements.

In the accompanying drawings the improved elastic wheel is shown. I

Figure 1 is a radial section; Fig. 2 is, a side view of the improved elastic wheel partially in vertical section.

The hub of the wheel consists of a cen t-ral part or bushing 1 cast or molded and carrying a certain number of radial arms 2. Upon the inner surface of the folly 3 indiarubber elements 4 are fixed in the following manner! Each element 4 is inclosed between two metal cups 56 which, although they maintain the element securely, allow of suflicient elasticity. The said cups 5 and 6 have each a lug 7 situated in the central plane of the wheel; the two corresponding cups 5, 6 are united by means of said lugs 7. The cups 5, 6 are fixed upon the telly by lateral flanges 8 and by means of two, shoulders 9 at the ends of said flanges. Each cup has a circular opening 10, the rim of which is bent inward; the annular flange 11 thus formed penetrating into indi'arubber mass 4. The lndia-rubber elements 4 have on either side a cavity which is concentric with the circular openings 10 and which cavities serve as housings for metal rollers 12. The connection between the hub and the india rubber elements 4 consists of two hoops 13 of U iron which form an inner wheel rim. These hoops are fixed by means of screw bolts 14 and nuts 15 to the said metal rollers 12 and by means of nuts 16 to the radial arms 2. The distance between said two hoops 13 slightl greater than that between the two sides 0 the cups 5+6.

the same extent. rubber of the elements 4 is clamped in and Upon the folly 3 a tread 17 of any known constructionis fixed. At either-side of the tread 17 vertical rings 18 are arranged which serve as mud guards.

The wheel is inclosed atboth sides by canvas disks 19 impregnated with indiarubber solution. Said canvas disks are clamped in at one extremity between two flat rings 20 and at the other extremity between two similar rings 21. The rings 20 are fixed to the telly 3 and they are connected with the rings 21 by radial connecting rods 22 shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines. The outer one of the rings 21 has an extension directed toward the hub and engaging under an annulardisk 23 of indiarubber. I

This improved elastic wheel operates as follows: The hub is suspended on the folly by means of the india-rubber elements 4; if through. the contact with the road a deformation is produced, all the elements participate in the same, every one to One part of the indiadoes not participate in the deformation, only that part of the india-rubber which is situated within the openings 10 keeps its entire elasticity. The openings 10 of all the easings for the india-rubber elements are identical and as the corresponding masses of india-rubber receive similar efiorts from their rollers, all the masses work identically at every moment, the lower half circles of said masses working under compression and the upper half circles working under extension. At one revolution of the wheel the center of the roller- 12 describes a small circle concentric with the opening 10.

I claim:

An improved elastic wheel comprising in combination the wheel hub, radial arms of said hub, two U-shaped rings fixed to the outer ends of said radial arms one at either side, the felly of the wheel, metal shoes made of two. separate parts fixed at either side of the folly so that theyproject each between two radial arms of the hub said shoes having large central openings, india rubber blocks inclosed between the two parts of said shoes and provided with cavities in their sides, metal disks corresponding in In witness whereof I have hereunto set shape with the cavities of said india rubber my hand in the presence of two witnesses. 10 elements in which they are located, and

means for fixing said disks to the U-shaped rings so that the clamp in the middle part of said india ru her elements substantially Witnesses: as described and shown andfor the purpose DEAN B; MASON,

set forth. ALBERT DE CARSALADE.

JULEs LEONARD, 

